Chain-link.



No, 723,429. PATENTED MAR. 24,.19"03.

G. WILKE.

GHAIN LINK.- APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 18, 1902.

Id MODEL;

WITNESSES: INVENTOR $04 ca/Muf 49mm S ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE.

GUSTAV WILKE, OF GRllNE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO RUDOLPH A. ERBSLGH, OFNEW YYQRK,.N. Y.

CHAIN-LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,429, dated March 24, 1903.

Application filed June 18, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV WILKE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Griine, in the Province of Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia, and Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Links, of which the following is a specification.

Myimprovement relates to chain-links, and particularly to such as are formed from apiece or rod of material by bending, and has for its object to provide a very strong link of this character. 7

To this end my invention consists in the special formation of the eye portion of the link, as will be pointed out in the'appended claims and as will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of my invent-ion.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a plan of one of my improved links. Fig. 2 shows a side View of the link before bending. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view of the linkblank. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the link with parts broken away, and Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The improved link is made from a wire rod or bar of iron or other suitable material, which bar A is reduced by pressure or otherwise adjacent to the ends, as indicated at A and, as shown best in Fig. 2, the reduction or offset is at opposite sides for each end. The

extremities of the rod or bar, however, are of substantially the full thickness, and in this manner shoulders A A are formed at the outer ends of the reduced portions A", while at their inner ends shoulders A A will be found. The free ends are beveled in opposite directions, as indicated at A A so that when the link is bent into the finished shape the beveled surfaces A A will be located one above the other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4:.

The central portion of thelink is bent, as indicated at A, and is preferably also given a twist, so that the plane of the bend will be approximately. at a right angle to the plane of the eye. This eye is formed by the reduced portions A and by the extremities of the link. It will be seen that the reduced portions are substantially half-cylindrical, as indicated best in Fig. 3, so that they engage Serial No. 112,144. (No model.)

each other with their plane surfaces. The shoulder A is engaged by the side of the other end portion of the link, and the side of the end portion which carries the shoulder A is engaged by the shoulder A Further, the shoulders A and A come into engagement with adjacent portions of the reduced sections A In this manner an interlocking of the reduced portions is obtained which renders an accidental opening of the link very unlikely. It will be clear that the eye of the link will rather break than stretch, so as to open, because the shoulders A A prevent the thickened extremities of the link from yielding lengthwise. The only possibility of the links opening is by a transversemovement of the .free ends, which transverse movement would bring the shoulders A A out of engagement 7 with the surfaces with which they are interlocked. By reference to Fig. 4., however, it will be readily understood that the beveled end faces A A absolutely prevent any transverse movement of the link ends which might throw their shoulders A A out of engage- -ment with the reduced portions A The link therefore cannot bend at the eye, and a chain made of such links is greatly reinforced at the point where, usually, weakness is found, so that the full strength of the material is utilized.

I desire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form shown and that the features of novelty are indicated in the appended claims. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A chain-link having flattened portions and shoulders near the ends, and thickened extremities, which portions and extremities are bent to form the eye, the shoulders at the ends of each flattened portion being in inter locking engagement respectively with the sides of the other flattened portion.

2. A chain-link comprisinga main portion, flattened portions and shoulders near the ends, and thickened extremities, which flattened portions and thickened extremities are bent to form the eye, the said extremities lying between the said flattened portions and forming the inner cross member of the eye, the shoulders at the ends of each flattened IOO portion being in interlocking engagement respectively with the sides of the other flattened portion, and the said extremities being provided with overlapping beveled end surfaces.

3. A chain-link comprising a main portion, flattened portions near the ends, which fiattened portions are overlapped and bent to form the outer portion of the eye, and thickened extremities each interlocked with the flattened portion adjacent to the other extremity, said extremities being bent to extend toward each other at the inner portion of the eye.

4:. A chain-link having its end portions bent 

